Allesverloren Shiraz 2016

Colour: Deep red with garnet rim. Bouquet: An abundance of plums with faint black pepper, a hint of bacon and cigar box aromas in the background. Taste: A rich and full-bodied wine with a good tannic structure and ample ripe fruit flavours.

The winemaker recommends serving this wine with poultry, veal and red meat dishes or savouring it on its own.

Allesverloren, situated on the south-eastern slopes of the Kasteelberg near Riebeek West, is the oldest estate in the Swartland Wine of Origin district and is renowned for its red wines and Fine Old Vintage. The farm, which dates back to 1704, began producing wine exactly one century later. In 1872 Allesverloren was acquired by Daniel Francois Malan and has remained in the Malan family for five generations.

Current owner Danie Malan and his late father, Fanie, were among the wine pioneers of the Swartland, ably demonstrating the outstanding wine growing potential of what was once considered the breadbasket of the Cape. While wheat remains the major crop in the region, increasing numbers of wine farms are established each year to take advantage of the beneficial terroir

in the vineyard : The grapes for this wine were sourced from trellised, south- facing vineyards planted in Malmesbury shale, some 60m to 300m above sea level.

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested by hand at 23° to 26° Balling towards the end of February, when it exhibited prominent varietal flavours, the tannins ripe and the berries still firm.

in the cellar : Each block was vinified separately. The grapes were fermented on the skins in open tanks at 25° C for five to seven days and left on the lees for four months to impart intensity of colour and flavour as well as to ensure the wine sufficient structure to age well. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was aged in a combination of new, but mainly second and third-fill French oak and a few new American oak barrels.